Orion SA's rubber carbon black business experienced a weak first quarter with a 53% drop in adjusted earnings despite a 1% increase in segment volumes. The company expects modest demand improvement to continue into the second quarter and anticipates benefits from its regional footprint due to the Middle East conflict, though long-term demand strength remains uncertain. Orion's CEO highlighted the company's agile response to market dynamics by executing price increases, flexing supply chains, and managing inventories.

Morgan Stanley has raised its price target for Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) to $190 from $180, maintaining an "Overweight" rating, due to strong cloud growth driven by AI product revenue. The new target represents a 30% upside from the current stock price, with analyst consensus indicating a "Buy" rating and a 32% potential upside. Other firms like Goldman Sachs, Mizuho, and Barclays have also expressed confidence in Alibaba's cloud and AI sectors, citing significant revenue growth and expansion projections.

BlackRock's GIP has partnered with Singapore's Temasek, Abu Dhabi's L’IMAD, and state oil firm ADNOC to create an infrastructure partnership. This collaboration aims to invest $30 billion in greenfield and brownfield infrastructure across the Gulf and Central Asia, including energy, transportation, and logistics. The initiative highlights significant global investor interest in the UAE and the broader region for long-term capital deployment in infrastructure.

Deere & Company (DE) is projected to report its Q2 2026 earnings before the market opens on Thursday, May 21st, with analysts expecting $5.70 EPS on $11.55 billion in revenue. The company’s previous quarter exceeded expectations, and analyst sentiment remains positive with a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating and an average price target of $655.45. Despite recent share price dips, institutional investors have been increasing their stakes, and several analysts have raised their price targets, indicating optimism for the long-term outlook of the agricultural and construction equipment manufacturer.

National Grid (LSE:NG.) plans an investment of at least £70 billion over the next five years to upgrade its electricity and gas infrastructure in the UK and US Northeast. This investment is projected to drive a compound annual asset growth of about 10% and underlying earnings per share growth of 8% to 10% through 2030/31. The company also reported record capital investment of £11.6 billion for the year ending March 2026, with underlying EPS rising 8% to 78.0p.

Thirteen brokerages have issued a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating for Ball Corporation (NYSE:BALL), with an average 12-month price target of $69.54. The company recently exceeded Q1 earnings and revenue estimates and reaffirmed its 2026 EPS guidance, despite its stock pulling back. Insider activity included a significant purchase by an SVP and a sale by another, while institutional investors hold a substantial portion of the shares.

Motorsport Games (MSGM) stock dropped over 21% in after-hours trading despite reporting strong first-quarter 2026 financial results, including a 129.3% year-over-year revenue increase to $4 million and an expanded gross margin of 87.2%. The company's CEO, Stephen Hood, attributed the positive performance to their turnaround strategy and the momentum of "Le Mans Ultimate." However, earnings attributable to Class A common stock fell significantly, from $0.33 to $0.06 per share.

Ross Stores (ROST) is scheduled to announce its Q1 2026 earnings after market close on Thursday, May 21st, with analysts forecasting earnings of $1.65 per share on $5.60 billion in revenue. The company recently increased its quarterly dividend to $0.445 per share, and Wall Street maintains a "Moderate Buy" consensus rating with an average target price of $213.29. Insider transactions show COO Michael J. Hartshorn and CMO Karen Sykes recently sold shares, while institutional investors have adjusted their holdings.

Weyerhaeuser is threatening legal action against Community Rights Lane County (CRLC) over a brochure about logging operations and herbicide use, which CRLC denies creating or distributing. The timber giant claims the brochure contains false information and caused confusion, while CRLC believes it's an intimidation tactic related to their support for Measure 20-373, the "Watersheds Bill of Rights." The measure, which CRLC supports, seeks to grant legal rights to Lane County watersheds.

Applied Materials is reporting its second-quarter earnings, with investors keen to see if the AI-driven chip spending can offset the slowdown in sales growth from China. The company's advanced equipment is crucial for new AI chip manufacturing, making its performance a key indicator of the competing market trends it faces.